Sick Day
by StanaBeckett
Summary: Mal's girlfriend gets sick on their one year anniversary and he must deal with the resulting effects that the disease causes. Part of the Stana/Emma series. Mal/OC and Simon/OC


**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Seriously, if I did, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction. I only own Stana, Emma, and the sickness mentioned.

**Author's Note**: Been a while since I last posted but this should give you a fix. It's a continuation of my AU Firefly Universe with Stana and Emma. I'll come up with a clever name for this Universe later. Enjoy!

Sick Day

"Stana! Where are ya? Mal's lookin' for ya!" Emma shouted, her voice carrying down the ships hall.

"Deng yi huir_ (hold on a second)_!" Came the weak but terse reply. The door to Stana and Mal's room opened and the woman herself climbly slowly out of the hole. As Stana finally pulled herself to her feet, she wobbled slightly on them.

Emma reached out to steady her sister. As her hand touched her skin, Emma recoiled at the feel. Stana's skin was sweltering despite the coolness of the ships atmosphere, her skin held a cool sheen of sweat that heated quickly due to body temperature. Her normally hazel colored eyes were a dull shade and the puffiness surrounding them gave the impression of crying. The paleness of her skin made it easy to spot the black crescents under her eyes.

"Aiya, Stana, you don't look too good. Mal can wait while Simon checks you out." Emma gripped Stana by the back of her open button-down shirt. Sweat soaked threw both her camisole and her shirt, making Emma cringe as she began guiding her sister towards the infirmary.

"I don't want Simon to check me out! Mal is the only one who can. He gets mad when other men look at me." Stana murmured, her eyes shifting and her body slumped.

"I'll get Mal once you are snug as a bug." Emma replied.

"I'm not a bug, though!"

"Obviously high class Alliance education doesn't work when someone is sick." Emma groaned, remembering that painful Earth Cultures class when they were young and innocent, not trained killers.

"Simon, have you figured it out yet? Sleepin' medication doesn't sit well with her once she wakes up." Emma asked, standing with her arms crossed next to the sleeping form of Stana.

A pair of arms wrapped around her waist and an open mouthed kiss landed on her neck. "The tests will be done soon, mei _(beautiful)_, don't worry. Have you told Mal yet? He's probably still looking for ta bao bei_ (his sweetheart)_."

"Zao gao_ (crap)_, no I haven't. It's their one year today. The longest relationship either has been in." Emma moved towards the door and groaned as she thought of the conversation she was about to have.

"Wash, have ya seen Stana? Can't find the woman anywhere." Mal walked up towards the pilot, his boots landing heavily on the grates.

"Nope, I'm 'fraid I haven't. Did ya check with Zoe or Kaylee?" The Pilot turned slightly towards the Captain and watched as he nodded.

"Yeah, I did. They didn't know either. I sent her sister ta look for her as well, now I ain't seen her in over an hour. Ain't seen Stana since we got up this morning and went to work." Mal slumped into the co-pilots chair and sighed.

"Somethin' important today?" Wash asked futively attempting some conversation.

"Yeah, ya could say that." Mal replied leaning his head back onto the chair, "It's our first anniversary and I wanted ta do somthin' for 'er."

"Ah, now I understand. What didya have planned?"

I was gonna have a small dinner followed by layin' down and lookin' out at the black from the che fang_ (kitchen)_ winda's." Mal rubbed his hand on his scalp, massaging away the headache.

"Sounds lovely, Captain, Zoe isn't a fan of that sorta thing so I tend to just buy her a gun and keep her in bed for the day." Wash spoke up grinning fondly.

"Bi zui, Wash. I also bought wo du nù a new sword. Not sure why she wanted the gorram thing. I ain't discussin' what we do in private with ya." Mal sighed and stood up again. "I need to find the girls. Can ya keep 'er outta trouble for a bit?" He asked as he journied towards the door.

"Sure thin-" Wash was cut off when he saw Mal and Emma collide.

"Hey, Mal, I found Stana," Emma said, her perfect core English sounding strained. Mal's face lit up slightly but fell as she continued, "She's in the infirm-" She stopped when Mal barreled past her, his body radiating tension and worry. Emma looked at Wash, who looked confused. "I probably should have started with she's fine."

"Alright, let's bring you out of it, Stana." Simon whispered to the unconscious form. Her skin was still extremely hot but Simon knew he needed to gauge her symptoms. After administering the medication, Simon stepped back and waited for Stana to wake up.

Minutes ticked by until the quick thudding of footsteps could be heard moving towards the infirmary._ "They obviously aren't Emma's." _Simon thought.

Seconds later, Mal stormed into the room with Emma not far behind him. "Gorram it, Doc, why didn't ya tell me she was here?" He demanded, moving close to Stana's form.

"I sent Emma to find you once I had her settled and sedated. She wasn't doing well and the only way to calm her was to do so." Simon answered calmly. "I ran the tests and are waiting for the results."

Mal placed hand lightly upon Stana's face, his fingertips stroking her pale cheeks. "Can ya give me a moment alone with 'er? Ma shang_ (now)_?"

Emma pulled Simon out of the room with a sympathertic glance his way.

"She should be waking up anytime now." Simon called as the door shut behind them.

Once alone, Mal leaned down and placed a kiss on Stana's forehead, "What's got ya so sick, bao bei?"

Stana groaned slightly at the feel of Mal's hand upon her cheek as she came too. Her hand twitched and made a weak attempt to grab at his shirt.

"Hey, hunnie, ya comin' back to us?"

"Mal? Is tha' you?" Stana slurred, her eyes fluttering open.

"Yeah, let me call the Doc, alright?" She moaned but nodded slightly in answer. Turning towards the door, Mal shouted for Simon.

Both Emma and Simon raced through the door, Simon immediately grabbing equipment.

"Stana? Can you sit up for me?" He asked.

A slight shake of her head answered him, "Unless you want..." she paused to take a deep breath, "Vomit everywhere...I wouldn't recommend...it."

Simon nodded his understanding, "Can you tell me what your symptoms are while you are still lucid?"

"Dizzy, nausea, pounding headache and am extremely cold." She listed brokenly.

Simon's eyebrows drew together before grabbing at the thermometer.

"What is it, Doc?" Mal asked, his hand grabbing for Stana's.

"I'm not sure..." He paused as he stuck the thermometer into Stana's mouth.

"Gai Gai long de dong_ (what the hell)_ is going on, Doc?" Mal questioned, his volume level rising with each word.

"She says she's_ extremely_ cold. Last I checked she had a temperature of one hundred and four. She should be burning up." Simon moved towards his computer, looking at the results from his tests.

"Emma?" Simon's posture became rigid as he read through the reports, "Was _Stana_ ever ill as a child?"

Emma frowned slightly, confused by the sudden question, "No, she was extremely healthy. She didn't even catch Mayarian Flu when I had it."

Simon's posture tensed up tighter before slumping.

"Doc, what 're ya talkin' 'bout? What does she got?"

Simon turned back to the group and sighed, scrubbing his hands on his pale face.

"You both are aware that if you catch Mayarian Flu as a child, you'll be okay and you'll be immune for the rest of your life." He paused and waited for Mal and Emma to nod. "As an adult, it kills ninety-eight percent of those who catch it."

"Simon are you saying Stana caught Mayarian Flu?" Emma asked, her voice getting quieter.

Simon nodded and moved towards Emma, pulling her into a hug, "I'm sorry, there is nothing I can do."

Looking at Mal, Simon observed his stoney countenance and his grip on her hand and thigh.

"How long does she got?" Mal asked quietly, his eyes coming to rest upon Stana's form.

"As an adult, once she hits the extreme pain and convulsion stage, she'll have about an hour. I can make her comfortable but medication makes the pain worse. The best we can do is sit with her." Simon answered, his eyes becoming misty.

Emma pulled away from Simon and moved towards her sister. Emma gathered Stana into her arms and laid her head upon her sister's chest, feeling the halting motions of her breathing.

Stana slowly laid her free hand upon Emma's head, lightly strking her red hair. Sleepily she spoke, "It's okay, mei mei, I need you to stay strong."

"I don't know how too..."

A sharp breath was pulled in by Stana, "You'll know... I would like to see everyone before it..." Staana paused for a deep breath, "Gets bad, can you send everyone through?"

Emma nodded and lifted her head from where it laid. With a small smile, she pulled away and grabbed Simon's hand, pulling him from the room.

The room was quiet except for the hum of _Serenity _and Stana's ragged breathing. Mal pulled up a chair next to his girlfriend and contiued holding her hand and thigh, his head bowed as though in prayer.

"I'm sorry..."

Mal looked up, confused by the short statement, "What 're ya talkin' 'bout, bao bei?"

"I ruined our day... I had everything worked out." Stana coughed and red specks appeared on her lips.

Mal gently brushed his thumb across her lips before returning the hand to Stana's thigh. "Don't be silly, you'll pull though 'n then we'll get ta have our an'versary. Just a bit later than normal."

A small smile graced her lips and she opened her eyes briefly, hazel meeting blue. "Listen, I know ya don;t like verbal expressions but I want ya to know that I love ya... just in case."

Mal froze at Stana's admission. Did he love her? He damn well cared for her but love? They hadn't even mentioned the "L" word before. Shaking his head slightly to clear his thoughts, Mal recognized that Stana was speaking again.

"You don't have ta say 'nythin', you probably aren't even that far. I felt ya should know someon love you for-"

Mal cut her off by bringing his lips to hers, "Wo ai ni _(I love you)_, bao bei." He grinned when the words left his mouth with ease. Seeing the resulting smile upon Stana's face encouraged him to repeat his statement.

"Wo ai ni."

Over the next two hours, everyone came and went. Mal, Emma, and Simon remaining in the room with Stana.

Small muscle spasms began shortly after Zoe left the room, opting to stand outside the room and look thought the glass. Mal continued to hold her hand, letting her squeeze it when the pain became too much. Over time, the spasms became worse, lasting for longer periods. Eventually, the pain became excruciating, Stana opting to whimper and wriggle rather than scream bloody murder.

"Just stay calm, Stana, breathe through the pain." Simon spoke, his hand laying upon her shoulder.

Stana opened her mouth as though to speak but closed it in favor of whimpering.

Minutes passed as the pain grew worse. The strain of watching Stana's condition grow worse began to show on their faces as the hour began to draw to a close. Emma held onto her sister's hand, openly crying now that the pain had started. Simon held steady behind Emma, squeezing her shoulders everytime a shudder passed through her sister. Mal held onto her other hand and craddle the back of Stana's head with his right arm. His eyes remained watery despite his hard facial expression.

A beep echoed throughout the room, signalling the two imnute warning. Everyone tensed, looking suddenly at the still form of Stana.

Emma began to sob as she watched her sister labor to breathe, her eyes fluttering closed as her body became rigid. Mal stood up and pulled Stana up to a sitting position, sliding behind her once she was up far enough.

Settling Stana back against his chest, Mal pushed her matted brunette locks away from her face and ear, moving the hair over her left shoulder. Mal placed his hands over her stomach and placed his mouth next to her ear, whispering words of love to her.

"You can do it , bao bei, fight this gorram disease. Prove them wrong!" Mal whispered, tears escaping from his eyes as his tight control slipped.

Seconds before the clock hit zero, Stana's form gave a jerk and then slumped. She stopped breathing seconds after her body slumped.

Simon rushed forward, checking for a pulse and finding none.

"Simon, what's happening?" Emma cried, her voice trembling when she noticed her boyfriend scramble to look for her sister's brainwave activity.

"She's dying. Her heart has stopped and I can't do anything." He replied sadly.

"What do you mean you can't do anything?" Emma shouted, throwing herself at Simon, "Help her!"

Simon held tight as she struggled, trying to explain himself, "Her brain is still active, she is still alive! I can't do anything because her brain has to restart her heart on it's own! That means that the body has gotten rid of the virus!"

Mal looked helplessly between Stana's face and the monitor. Seconds passed as her brainwave activity decresed, causing everyone on board to tense. Mal tuned out the sound of the monitor, instead looking pleadingly at his girlfriends face. Out of the corner of his eye, Mal watched as Emma crumbled to the floor, her body wracked with sobs. Simon walked to the monitor and shut it off, spurring Mal into action.

"Lao tian, bu_ (Oh god, no)_, bao bei. Bao bei! Wake up!" He shouted, his arms tightening around the body of his girlfriend. "Please..." He whispered, his voice growing small as he buried his face into the hair at her neck.

Seconds felt like a lifetime as everyone mourned. Mal felt tears slip down his face and coagulate on the tip of his chin. The pool slid down into her hairs, slidding down the sweat soaked mass. Mal watched the tear track down towards the exposed skin of her chest. The tear landed lightly upon Stana's skin, resulting in a jolt from her.

Her back arched off of Mal's chest, resulting in Mal's armsbeing jerked from her body.

"Bao bie!" Mal cried, his voice showing signs of shock, "Doc? Tell me whatcha got? What's goin' on with 'er?"

Simon moved forward, instruments already scanning Stana's vitals. Mal continued to watch as Stana's body jerked once more before slumping again, her chest clearly rising and falling. Simon chuckled as he stepped back from the bed.

"She did it." Simon grinned, pulling Emma off of the floor and into a bear hug, "She did it, Captain, she beat the flu!"

Mal looked down at Stana, wonder displayed upon his face. Pulling her close, Mal smiled into her hair.

_Three Weeks Later_

"Malcolm Reynolds! It has been three weeks! Can I at least leave the room to eat?" Stana asked, her hand laying over her eyes.

"No! Ya died on me, Stana, I ain't lettin' ya over do it 'till I knows ya is okay." He replied back, his eyes hard when he noticed her try to get up. He moved towards their bed and laid his hand upon her chest.

"I am okay!" She cried, "Since ya got me moved, the farthest I've gone is to the bathroom!"

"I just don't-" He paused and looked down at their sheets, "I can't handle even thinkin' of you not wakin' up again. I just wanna-" Again he paused.

"Protect me?" Stana prompted.

Mal just nodded as he looked away.

Stana lifted her hand and pulled Mal down beside her. Once he was settled and her tucked into his side, Stana murmurred her reply.

"That's sweet."

They remained quiet, Stana's left hand stroking Mal's chest as he held onto her.

"Nothin's gonna happen to ya. Not while I'm alive." He whispered, "Wo ai ni."

Stana nuzzled her nose into him, closing her eyes as she inhaled his scent and a smile grew on her lips.

"Wo ai ni, wo de ai_ (I love you, my love)_."

They both drifted off into slumber as they held each other tight.


End file.
